EDITOR’S NOTE: A previous version of Dave Perry’s column mistakenly alluded to a televised ad by the Coffman campaign regarding the Denver Post editorial. The Coffman campaign did not run a televised ad, and the column now reflects that.
It didn’t take long for the race for Aurora’s congressional seat to sink into the political mud.
It was inevitable the 6th Congressional District race would turn odious since the contest is tight and the stakes so high.
Congressman Mike Coffman is running for his third term to the seat. If you don’t know who Mike is, you haven’t lived here very long or you shun real life the same way Fox News shuns the facts. Mike grew up here. He served in the state House, the state Senate, as state treasurer and secretary of state. During all of those jobs, he’s made headlines as a U.S. serviceman.
He’s a smart, sarcastic, big-hearted, funny and tenacious politician. Bitten by the polls bug eons ago, politics defines him, and he’s good at it.
I like Mike. I’ve always liked him. He comes from humble roots, and he’s never forgotten them. He likes to taut his lengthy military career, and how that career has shaped his moral fiber.
That’s why I was so surprised by his below-the-belt shot to Andrew Romanoff a couple of weeks ago during an Aurora Chamber of Commerce forum.
Coffman said that the Denver Post once called Andrew’s behavior during a past Democrat primary race for Senate, “sleazy.”
It never happened, and Mike knows it. In 2010, a Denver Post editorial took Andrew to task for a campaign ad against incumbent Democrat Sen. Michael Bennett. The ad misleadingly made it look like Bennett partook in shady dealings as an employee of Phil Anschutz and his movie-theater largess. As the Colorado Independent pointed out recently, the Post said the ad was “over the top.” And it was. It was a stupid move that helped cost Andrew the election.
Sadly, Mike is doing the same thing he’s attacking Andrew for by running a misleading ad defaming him, instead of hitting Andrew right between the policies, which is what he needs to do.
If you don’t know who Andrew is, you’re excused as long as you don’t regularly live and breath Colorado news. Romanoff is a former Denver state lawmaker who rose quickly through the ranks to become speaker of the Colorado House. It’s easy to see why. Romanoff is a highly intelligent, affable, perceptive guy who always seems to be doing the right thing. He’s a close listener and observer, which means he gets it when Joe and Jane Doe tell him their woes.
He’s not sleazy, and Mike should be ashamed of his attempt to paint him that way. That’s not what the military’s code of honor is about.
Andrew doesn’t stay on the high-ground either. Trying to paint Mike as a creature of political action committees because he’s part of the same bankrupt political system everyone in Congress is, is unfair. Andrew doesn’t take PAC money, but it by no means ensures that PACs aren’t working hard on Andrew’s behalf, and he has no intention of stopping them.
As far as political foes go, Andrew and Mike actually agree on more than they don’t. That’s because both are loyal to the causes we all share in Colorado. But where the two part ways, on immigration, on abortion rights, on healthcare reform, on energy policy, each candidate is able to eloquently and persuasively detail their logic and opinions.
The party faithful on both sides of this election have little or no intention of listening to anything the opposing candidate has to say. Aurora, however, is home to huge numbers of voters who loathe the current state of partisan politics. They’re open to the idea that Mike is more than a pawn of PACs, and Andrew is more than an intellectual snob. So move to the high road, Mike, Andrew, and tell us how your assessment of issues is the way forward for all of us, not how the opposition has cooties.
“If you don’t know who Mike is, you haven’t lived here very long or you
shun real life the same way The Aurora Sentinel shuns the facts.”
Dave you had a typo, I fixed it for you.
Sadly, the republican handlers are calling the shoots for Mr. Coffman in this election as they do for him in Washington D.C. Coffman is part of the broken system and as part of that system, works for the big oil, big banks, big money and not for us REAL people that live here in Colorado. Time for Mr Coffman to cash in his chips and go sign in with the BIG corporate America.
Do you really believe Romanoff will be any different?
He can talk about all the subjects from reading books. I prefer a candidate who has lived the same or similar life that I led, thereby knowing all the ups and downs. We have too many in Washington now, who never lived the life, but can talk rings around those who did. Of course that is the liberal teaching of the professors who also could not manage a company, never met a payroll, or managed people. Many who we have to believe were hatched out, under their desks.
I do – taking money directly from PACs makes a difference. It has led many conservatives like Coffman to vote in favor of protectionism for the sugar industry (and thus higher sugar prices) and more regulation to protect alcohol distributors, instead of voting for free market principles. The big money PACs and their lobbyists own Washington, and to deny it, as Coffman does, is going to ensure more of the same.
I really think we need control over PACs, including Unions and all those who issue lying media about candidates. Candidates should raise funds needed within the state, where voters live. As we saw in elections past, excessive funding comes from unknown sources. All such candidate messages should be authorized by them, and wherever the message is written-designed-issues be shown on bottom section. Ex: Woman in Kentucky designing this crap for about 6 or more PACs in Colorado, all registered few months before election. What does she know about Colorado, living in Kentucky? Gardner-Udall, Beauprez-Hickenlooper good examples of this now. Absolute lies built around small nugget of truth. See Channel 4 for their recent accuracy check.
It would have helped if Dave Perry had scolded Andrew Romanoff in May when he supervised very young children in sidewalk chalking outside Mike Coffman’s office, in private building. They were much too young to vote for him, and he should be held accountable for not knowing that was a private building. Building Manager squared him away. Immigration needs attention, but cannot be resolved until we stop the invasion from Central America and Mexico. Then stop the smuggling of people-drugs-guns across the border, and register all folks inside our border. This is not a Republican-Democrat problem. This is survival of our way of life, democracy (actually Republic). With all the wars, killings, murders, bombing in world today, it is inevitable we will have another WTC type problem. FBI, CIA, and the intelligence organizations will not be able to catch, arrest, and stop all now inside USA. Which city do we lose with prevalence of nuclear, biological, chemical weapons so rampant now? And IS (ISIS or ISIL) cannot be tolerated. Next really big item in election is for both parties to get off abortion, birth control, Viagra, and such subjects, and get minds on economy, stronger military instead of weakening it, jobs, business returned to USA, and investigate-arrest-prosecute those who involved with Fast and Furious, IRS, Benghazi, Gun Control, and definitely restore State Rights under 10th Amendment. Colorado and all Western States should have same rights to control our lands, as Eastern States do. Federal then pay for what land, buildings, assets they use in each state. That would allow states to maintain, and assist own citizens, instead of pleading for funds from Washington, with all kinds of government control. Micro-managing from Washington is not working, and was never intended to be so, by framers of Constitution and Bill of Rights.
Will make open comment to all posters. If it appears I am disgusted with politics as practiced since the 1990 era, I am. Unions spent heaps of money extracted from workers by payroll deductions. I worked in 4 major unions in my lifetime,, before military and after. None of those did anything for me, since I was a willing worker, who did the best I could. Was told too many times to slow down, was making others look bad. Same for both my sons. After my absentee vote had been sent in few years ago, I recorded 73 phones calls from across nation, “TELLING ME HOW TO VOTE”. As for PACs, the candidate and staff are NOT SUPPOSED to have any contact with the PAC. I give my donations directly (by check) to a staff member or the Candidate themselves. I send no money to National Party or to any PAC. Period- no exceptions. And I research on net what each candidate has done in the past, and have had direct contact with them. If all did that, we would not have the runaway political structure we have now. We enrich the television, newspapers, and the flyer printing companies, who work for all candidates, PACs, wherever the money flows from. Can we afford this? Reason this administration gave away cell phones and the goodies with promises of Hope and Change. OH YEAH!!!!!!